


the "skeptic" and the holy.

by sortasolved



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: Angel Ryan Bergara, Demon Shane Madej, I have no idea how to use tags, Other, POV Ryan Bergara, Ryan Bergara Being an Idiot, Shane Madej Is Shook, idk spooky stuff i guess, oh boy fellas, there's gonna be some angsty stuff if you catch my drift
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-09-15 11:28:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16932432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sortasolved/pseuds/sortasolved
Summary: Angels are vanishing, or rather, being pulled from heaven, and no one can figure out how it's happening. It's up to an angel on the run from various dark forces that want to claim him, and a possible demon that's fallen to the same fate to figure out how to stop the monsters of hell from consuming more.





	1. the introduction.

**THIS JUST IN: FIVE MORE ANGELS HAVE VANISHED, ALONG WITH ARCHANGEL RAPHAEL. THE CAUSES OF THESE DISAPPEARANCES ARE YET TO BE UNCOVERED, BUT INVESTIGATION IS STILL ONGOING. A STATE OF PANIC HAS NOW BEEN DECLARED, WITH ALL ANGELS, NO MATTER YOUR RANKING, TO REMAIN CAUTIOUS.**

**NO ONE IS SAFE.**

**NO ONE IS SAFE.**

 

The headline caused my stomach to churn. An archangel. They had taken an archangel. It should’ve been impossible. By the powers that be, it should’ve been impossible.

This was going to make my job as close to hell as it could get without, well, you know, actually being in hell.

Being representative to the archangels was actually a lot easier than one may think it is. First of all, I’m not actually an archangel. cause they’re all so incredibly important and hoity-toity, that they don’t even bother with the HRC (Heaven Representatives Committee.) If they have a problem, they just take it to God himself, and He just handles it like that. Boom.

In fact, a lot of our problems would be solved a lot more quickly if the archangels just spread the word about the vanishings to God, and He just, you know, Handled It. But I digress. I really can’t complain. He’s God, after all. You use the capital letters for a reason. There had to be some reason for Him not mentioning the disappearances at all. 142 angels missing, and one archangel, and He still never said a word.

Oh well. I was sure the topic was going to come up at the next meeting. The Powers and the Dominions were going to argue, the Virtues were going to try and keep things calm and fail, the Cherubs and the Thrones were just going to groan and complain about how they had to show up in the first place, and I was just going to sit in the corner, technically not having to do anything, because the Archangels never gave me anything to do. That was the expectation. According to all prior signs, it should’ve been the reality.

Apparently, God had different plans.

Or, rather, Satan.


	2. the human.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a peculiar guest at the HRC meeting, giving Ryan a new perspective on the mystery.

The meeting started off normally, as all meetings did. With a boring list from the representative of the Seraphim listing off the various ground rules for the meeting, occasionally coughing a spare, “Praise be to God.” into their wing, giving off a spasm of light that would blind any mortal. To an outsider, it would probably be hilarious. To a somewhat seasoned angel, it was just boring and even obnoxious in some circumstances.

However, once that pleasantry ended, it got to the meat of the gathering. The arguing.

I will admit, I occasionally paid attention once or twice when it got to this point. One, because apparently, some heavenly beings have some good points to make. Shocking, I know. You would think that immortality would at least give them enough experience to form a reasoned opinion. 

Two, because watching them go at each other’s throats was always ironically hilarious. These were supposed to be heavenly beings, the epitome of all that was good and graceful in the world. As such, it was always morbidly hilarious to see a tiny Cherub threaten to punch an Angel in the face. Don’t get me wrong, if that Cherub did punch, it would do some massive damage, but all the same, the image was so absurd, you know?

Unsurprisingly, no one was getting anywhere. Petty squabbles never did anything to solve a crisis, despite what some may think. I still sat at the far end of the room, absolutely silent, watching it all go down. To be fair, I probably wasn’t authorized to speak anyways. I wasn’t given anything to say by the archangels, so why should I speak on the manner at all? 

Sure, I had done a ton of research on the topic, and may or may not have made a five-point presentation designed to provide a logical way to find the root of the problem, as well as some theories of who it was in the first place, but since the Archangels would probably smite me where I stood if I jumped that far out of line, I kept it to myself. My only job here was to sit still, look good, and occasionally chuckle at the rare fist fight that actually broke out. Other than that, I was just here in appearance alone. 

I would sometime sneak in a few whispers with the Angel representative, who could always give me a good laugh, but other than that, boredom. I was essentially useless. In fact, I could be using my time to guide some human into getting into a business startup or distancing themselves from their abusive ex-husbands, or something. 

No, instead, I was here, and it turns out that for once, this meeting would change the course of my history forever.

It all started when the human appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the hall. One second, a Power was adjusting his shield, getting ready to ram into another Angel in what was sure to be an exciting affair, and the next, a human was just standing there, seeming absolutely unfazed. 

There hadn’t been a human in heaven for years. At least, a living human anyways. God was very picky about who He chose to be His prophets, and apparently, no one had been up to par for a while now. Dead humans were everywhere, that much was true. The rate of growth was less than before, probably due to a downgrade in society, but there still were plenty. They had their own section where they could technically do whatever they wanted, spare leaving. Then again, though, why would you want to? 

This human though, you could tell he was something else. He was taller than your average mortal, wearing sunglasses and a floral shirt that made my eyes bleed almost as much as if I was a mortal looking upon a Seraphim. He was definitely alive. Deceased humans had their name and identity plastered in little floating quotes above their heads His whole being seemed to simmer with divine energy, which seemed to imply only one thing.

“He was sent by God.” the angel next to me, Sara, whispered. “Oh boy.”

“Wow, this is some wild fever dream,” the human announced, shrugging and taking off the pair of sunglasses. It raised many more questions than answers. Had he seriously fallen asleep with them on? That just seemed absurd. “Might as well have some fun, considering I’m going to be waking up soon.”

Every eye in the room trained on me, except for the human. He was more busy admiring the architecture. Of course he did. Technically, I would be the first person to ask about this, because archangels would have the most intel, and I supposedly had the most intel about the archangels, but anyone who believed that I had any clue was delusional. I’d made it very clear from the start that they never told me what was happening, and this wasn’t an exception.

All the same, the Principality representative, Jonathan, ordered, “Ryan, you are going to tell me the meaning of this in five seconds, or else-”

“I have no idea,” I answered honestly. “I literally don’t have a clue. If anything, you should ask him.”

  
“Ask me what?” the human responded, a rather indifferent tone to his voice, considering he was in a room filled to the brim with angels. “My name? It’s Shane Madej, by the way. Howdy.”

“Did he seriously just say howdy?” A Cherub groaned, looking more like an annoying toddler. “Seriously, Ryan, what is the meaning of this?”

It was odd to have their aggression suddenly placed onto me, when I had sat back many a time before, not having to worry about it. The pressure was unnerving, and, really, what could I say? It wasn’t like they were going to listen to me.

“Hey, knock it off, alright?” Sara fired back for my sake, rolling her eyes. “You all know as well as I do that he’s never told anything. Don’t blame him for this.”

“Yeah, this is a really odd dream. I’m thoroughly entertained.” Shane locked eye contact with me, shit eating grin on his face, and a shiver ran down my spine. There was something primally familiar here. I couldn’t figure it out, but then again, I couldn’t deny it either. It was like I had caught him in a lie, but couldn’t tell a soul. It was entrancing. 

“So, you have no idea what you’re here for?” the Seraphim, ironically named Sandy, asked. 

“No clue. But can you catch me up to speed?” Apparently, he had no idea what was going on, but was determined to have the time of his life anyways. I didn’t know what God was trying to gain by sending him here, but either way, at least it was going to be interesting. 

“Okay, so-”

“No, I want him to explain.” Much to my surprise, Shane pointed directly at me. My stomach dropped. “You guys seem so intent on him knowing everything. Why not let him have the floor? Plus, he seems like the kind of nerd to actually have a five point presentation prepared on this topic, so I’m sure whatever he says will be very educational. 

The example was specific. Almost too specific. I didn’t let myself dwell on that for long. I had finally been asked to do something I could do. Might as well oblige, right? “Well the basics are that a bunch of angels are disappearing, and-”

“Demons. Demons did it.” If there was a drink in my mouth, I would have spit it out by now. He said the words with so much certainty, that I had a feeling that’s what he was thinking all along. To be entirely honest, that was one of my first theories. “Dragging them down to Hell, turning them, come on guys, isn’t it obvious? People suck now. I bet Hell’s getting more and more powerful by the day, no? They’re only just forcibly recruiting more and more each day. If you guys and gals and whatever that winged monstrosity thing is don’t do something, the world is screwed. All these angels? Being tortured out of minds until they become the very thing they hated. Now that they’ve got Raphael, unless you guys really pull some expert damage control, you’re really dead.”

Sara got the question out before I did, voice trembling slightly from a sense of confused awe and fear. “How do you know all of this?”

“I dunno. Intuition. Maybe God told me. Either way, I guess I know this bullshit dream universe better than I thought.” He shrugged, and I could tell there was much more there than he was letting on. He may have denied his belief, but there was something there, and he couldn’t take that away from me. He knew, somehow, more than he was letting on.

Through that, the doubt came through, the question if he was really human in the first place. 

He looked at me once more, as if to challenge my suspicions, and as suddenly as he appeared, vanished again in a tiny poof of light. “He probably woke up.” Sara mumbled, mostly to herself more than anything. “Prophetic dreams aren’t known to take a very long time…”

“Sure.” I responded with hesitance, not really knowing what to believe.

I was almost thankful when Sandy, considerably more ruffled than before, announced, “Meeting adjourned. May the grace of God be with you always.”

_And also with you._   



	3. the fall.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan meets his fate, with nowhere else to go but down.

Normally walking on a cloud leaves one feeling refreshed and feeling like they can do anything. It was actually the reason I rarely flew around, except when necessary. However, now, the whole experience was leaving me incredibly drained, though that may have been a side effect of the gears in my brain turning constantly. 

He couldn’t have been a demon. Demons hate Heaven, most burning or going through various other forms when they set foot inside of the place just from the pure holiness. Unless he was willing to torture himself just to give us a clue, which was very unlikely, considering he would be a demon in that scenario, and the day a demon helped an angel with something was the day Hell froze over.

So, if he wasn’t a demon, who was he? If he was a human, how did he know so much about the functions of Hell and this entire situation? How did we even know he was telling the truth? There were so many different variables to this and though I tried, I could hardly make sense of any of it.

Eventually, through my wandering, I made it to the exact place I didn’t want to be right now. Angels nicknamed it Lucifer’s Hole, after some stupid legend about the spot being the exact place when Lucifer fell from the heavens into Hell. It was more likely that the area was just some odd break in the clouds. It wasn't impossible.

Still, there always seemed to be something sinister with the energy in this area. Even if it was just some parting in the ground, it always left me uneasy. I usually tried to leave the area as quickly as possible when I ended up here. 

However, today I paused, realizing that both I needed to get out as fast as I possibly could and that for some reason, I had an urge to stay for quite a while. Relax, I told myself. There was nothing there. This was a good place to think, right?

I should’ve taken it as the obvious trap it was. However, staring down at the sky below, taking a deep breath, it was only until I noticed the shadows creeping up beside me that I decided, hey, maybe this was how I was going to become another number to add to the statistic?

“Uh, hello? Anyone?” No response, and now I was starting to see some red eyes glimmering in the darkness. That was no bueno in so many different ways. I was about to decide that perhaps my best option was to run for the hills, but I then realized that I was completely surrounded, except for one way. 

Down.

My plan was insane, but there was a chance it could work. A slim chance, but a chance, nonetheless. I chose to ignore how many angels probably had the exact same plan as me, and still ended up going missing. This time, it was going to be different. 

Or, at least, I hoped it would be.

Knowing very well that I was probably putting myself in a much worse position, I hurled myself down from the clouds and began flying like crazy to the ground. Closer to the place I didn’t want to be, sure, but if I timed this right, there was a chance this could work out.

That chance almost immediately faded when the shadows spread to underneath me as well. Of course they did. I’d officially threw myself right into a trap with little no hesitation. Smart move, Bergara.

I steadied myself to a hover, panic fully starting to set in. I had nowhere else to go except right in their arms, and I was still going through the various stages of denial, not wanting to believe that this was really happening right now. It really was that easy. I suppose I never really had a chance in the first place. If I had just remained in one place…

“Ryan!” I nearly started falling again when I heard the voice, just as reassured as when I heard it before, but this time, a bit more urgent in tone. Judging the situation, it was rationalized. “Don’t freak out!”

“It’s a little too late for that, wouldn’t you say?” I frantically scanned the area hearing Shane’s voice but not being able to figure out where he was. Suspicions were answered slightly, but I almost had more questions than before. Might as well get the easiest one out of the way. “What are you anyway?” 

“Irrelevant. Just trust me, alright? Or else you’re going to be stuck with these less than ideal fellas.” The dark mob seemed to collectively grumble, only growing more frantic. He had a point, though by saying that, it did put my trust in him in question. It wasn’t like I could afford to question it. Sure, he may have been lying earlier, but what other options did I have?

“Okay, so what do I do?”

A form materialized in the darkness, shaping into the familiar figure of the tall man from before, still wearing the sunglasses and the floral shirt. He held out his hand, lowing his sunglasses on his nose. There was a sense of genuine desperation in his gaze that compelled me to believe that perhaps I would be able to get out after all, because what other option did I have? What option did we have? “Take my hand.”

I did so, just barely latching on my grip to his hand when the darkness engulfed us both, and as soon as it started we were in the light again, except this time we were actually falling.

I was losing feeling in all of my limbs, the only thing I knew how to do being holding on to the strange entity who had for some reason decided to save me. At least, I believed he had saved me. There was this small, dark pit in my heart that was only growing larger and larger by the moment, and I couldn’t deny my deliriousness at this point. Maybe I hadn’t been fully taken, but whatever that demonic mob was had surely left something behind in me. 

The vague thought came to my mind that he was only dragging me down to my doom. Shane had lied before. He obviously wasn’t a human, and he definitely knew (at least somewhat) what was going on. How was I supposed to know that I could believe him? The doubt racked my mind before, but now that I was halfway out of the woods, I was able to entertain it as much as one falling to the ground can. 

Either way, I was along for the ride now, no matter what I did, and all I could do was await my fate. 


	4. the curse.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shane makes a choice for the greater good in order to preserve Ryan’s sanity. At least, so he believes.

Alert consciousness only faded more and more from my mind, like the feeling of being able to sniff when you have a cold. You only ever really think to appreciate it while it’s gone, and once it is, it seems like an eternity before it comes back.

Time moved by in a blur, events happening in the spur of the moment and fading from my memory as soon as they occurred, almost like some messed up fever dream. (I suppose Shane did have a point with bringing them up in the very beginning.) Some of it seemed imagined, some seemed real, and I could hardly believe any of it was happening.

It was like a vignette filter had been messily shoved over my vision, only to flicker in and out sporadically, only growing the more and more it remained. I was suppressing the urge to puke in the woods, though the temptation was very strong. We’d landed rather messily a while ago, a conveniently placed pine tree being the thing to soften our landing.

We were stumbling along now, or rather, I was stumbling along now, the double whammy of having to deal with the various side effects of the mortal plane, (atrocious air quality, much more garbage in the middle of the woods than one would’ve liked, etc. etc.) and the fact that I had only narrowly avoided being dragged down to hell really taking a toll. Shane seemed absolutely unaffected, which, in the running theme for the past twenty-four hours, raised more questions than answers.

“Ryan? You doing alright, buddy?” Shane asked, turning around, nimbly avoiding running into a tree. It was a shocker he didn’t hit his head on any of the branches.  
In an almost satisfying twist of fate, I proceeded to fall over. It wasn’t like I had much control over the matter, really. My limbs just finally gave out, and I was left a choking mess.

“Shit,” Shane muttered under his breath, sprinting over. “Why didn’t you tell me that you were doing horribly?”

“Thought it wasn’t important.” That was a lie. Now that I was really thinking about it, I actually had no clue why I wasn’t just upfront about how I felt like I was dying, which meant I probably was. I mean, I couldn’t die. Not technically. Angels were already dead, though on a higher plane than most deceased mortals. However, I’d never thought about the possibility that the actual holy part of oneself could die, which was a thought I couldn’t bear entertaining for long. I already felt like absolute horseshit.

I didn’t bother to even attempt voicing a protest as Shane frantically began scanning my wings. I didn’t ask what he was looking for. I didn’t want to know.

They were folded into my back, as they had been for the entire time we had been walking, for multiple reasons. One, because it was more comfortable, and an ounce of comfort I could control was most certainly desired. Two, because I was concerned some well-meaning mortal humans were going to stumble upon us and freak out upon seeing a suspicious guy wandering the forest with a man with a halo and a six-foot wingspan. Some really good urban legends could come from that, actually. Finally, it was because any ties that connected me with the heavens were really weighing me down at this point. I had a feeling we were going to run into some demons, considering we couldn’t escape forever, and that eventual exchange was one I dreaded. Coming out with the wings unfolded probably wasn’t the best plan of action.

Shane grumbled to himself as I pushed myself off the ground, still feeling like absolute garbage but determined to overcome it. Sure, that determination would get me nowhere, but it was a good sentiment, right?

The urge to vomit came surging over me again, and the only thing preventing me from chucking it all up in a bush was my own fear. Shane seemed actually worried now, staring at a tree and muttering curses to himself, some possibly in Latin? I don’t know where he would’ve picked that up, besides some sort of kingdom of the Lord. His past was only proving to be more and more elusive.

It turns out the past was the least of my problems. “Ryan, your wings are going to kill you,” Shane responded matter of factly, whipping out a cell phone from his pocket. I had clue where he had gotten that from, and much like most of the questions I had, I was too afraid to ask.

He walked over briskly and showed me a rather harrowing picture. Most of my left wing seemed perfectly fine. Except for the tip, which had faded to a gnarled, hollow black. My stomach churned, more than it already had been. Well, that couldn’t be too good.

Shane seemed to be punching himself in the face through his words. “I was barely too late. I got you out of there, which was probably the most important part, but I wasn’t quick enough to prevent them from partially claiming you.” That also didn’t sound great. “That black spot? That’s the essence of a demon, slowly spreading its way through your body, like a tumor, until it can eventually gain full control and rip the old you apart. Worst-case scenario, obviously.”

“Actually, that sounds pretty freaking horrible.”

“You’re not going to like how I’m going to stop it.”

“Oh, come on.” I forced out a weak scoff. “What could be worse than having your body ripped apart?”

I should’ve seen it coming. “I’m going to have to cut your wings.” And it was with that, that my world stopped. Oh. So that’s what we were dealing with here.

“You’re joking.”

“Nope.”

“All the way?”

“This isn’t the sort of thing you half-ass, Ryan.”

“Both?”

“Yeah. As I said, it's a tumor. A nasty, cursed tumor that would haunt your nightmares, but a tumor. If we can isolate it and remove the infected tissue before it spreads, there’s a chance we can save you. There are some risks, but it’s the best option. It’s not like I’ve got any holy water on me, but I can get a holy sword pretty quickly, which can do wonders for cauterizing the wound. Of course, you’ll probably never be the same again, but-”

I didn’t understand half of that sentence. I was too busy hurling my guts right next to some innocent chipmunk. The rest I was stubbornly in denial about. There had to be some other way out of this, right? If my wings were cut off, that would effectively ruin any possibility of my returning back to heaven, right? Then again, Shane made it there, and he appeared to not have any…

I wanted to ask him about everything. I wanted to ask him how he knew so much, how he knew this was going to work, why he was even doing this in the first place, but all that came out was silence. It was in that silence that I realized I was scared out of my mind. Scared of what was going to happen next, scared of what I was going to do, scared of what I was losing, scared of the possibility of failure.

I guess Shane picked up on that, because, gently, bending down slightly so we met eye to eye, he said, “Look, this fucking sucks. I know. Demons suck ass. I’ve had to deal with them every day, I’ve had to deal with them taking away everything that I loved. They stole away my belief, my belief that there was a God that cared, that there was a hope, that there was actually good in this broken shell of a being. And let me tell you, if there’s one thing that I would go back in time and change, I would take my own wings instead of letting them rip those away from me. That one last element of control, that was all that I wanted. I don’t want you to have those same regrets, alright?”

I was contemplating two options right now. Absolutely losing my mind because of the panic, because holy fuck, this was my worst nightmare, or reaching a state of pure nirvana, the peak of “I don’t give a rat's ass,” because, in the end, this was the best option for myself, right? Freaking out was only going to make the outcome worse. I chose somewhere in the middle. Somewhat suppressed hyperventilating. Everything was fine, but everything was not fine, and I had a feeling nothing would ever be the same level of fine again.

I think in the end I accepted it. Reluctantly, sure, but I still accepted it. It wasn’t like I had much choice in the matter anyway. Shane was mumbling some more in Latin, this time sounding royally pissed. At least, much more than he was before. I didn’t really have the time to figure out what it meant, mostly because I was getting closer and closer to dozing off by the second. Knowing Shane, it was probably some sort of sleeping curse. Of course, it was. To be fair, did I really want to be awake for this?

I didn’t have the energy to object, even if I wanted to. The vignette only spread and spread until finally, it consumed all of my vision, and that was when, in my forced sleep, that I allowed myself to start panicking.


	5. the ricky interlude.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan comes face to face with what's inside of himself.

Angels never really sleep. I mean, it’s possible, some do it simply for kicks, but generally it’s not common, even frowned upon in some respects.

When Shane knocked me out, I hadn’t actually had a good nap for, what a century or two? So, that wasn’t on my side. Also, sleep induced by dark magic often has some negative consequences, plus traumatic circumstances before passing out adding to the pot, doubled with the fact that there was technically a demon consuming me, and what I’m trying to say here in this very long run on sentence is that trippy dreams were inevitable.

I don’t even remember all of what happened, but I remember being at a house in the middle of a forest, in the middle of the night. I could hear a wolf howling in the distance, but that was the least of my problems. The moon shone a deep, blood red, casting everything in a red overlay. I didn’t have to look inside the house to know that there was some deep evil lurking inside, I just felt it in my gut. Could I stop myself from going inside? Not really. Even the holy have trouble controlling their nightmares.

Slowly I walked, the anticipation and dread stockpiling in my throat. Yet, it seemed like more than normal dread. There was something more weighing on me, an essence that I couldn’t escape. There was an entity somewhere with me.

“I hate this,” I announced the void, for no particular reason other than letting the void know that I did, indeed, hate this. The void gave no response. The darkness remained.

I reached the door of the house, my brain screaming at me not to open the door and also ordering me to. I had no choice. I had to keep going. WIth a horrendous squeak, the ancient wooden door slid open, and I was met with the most frightening sight possible.

Myself. Twisted and morphed beyond recognition, not in appearance but demeanor. This thing looked almost exactly the same as Ryan Bergara, make no mistake. However, there was a glimmer in its gaze, a confidence in its pose, a blankness that left me seriously unsettled. This being could do absolutely anything, manipulate anyone, and it knew it.

A name came to my brain, as clear as the darkness around me. _Ricky_.

And as soon as Ricky as there, with what seemed to be the slash of a blade, he was gone, and I was falling once again. Eventually, I had to wake up, though the memory of the dream wouldn’t fade from my mind.

Plus, I still had plenty of questions, and those I had no desire of escaping from.

Because, in the end, like it or not, the most important investigation I had to tackle at this point was the unsolved mystery of Shane Madej, and if I didn't solve it, I could potentially doom myself even more.


	6. the window.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sara makes an entrance and Ryan realizes his connection with Shane is deeper than he once thought.

“You’re a moron, Shane.”

“You’re acting like that’s an insult that’s going to hurt me now.”

“But it’s true.”

“Well, Sara, can’t deny it, can I? At least your friend isn’t burning in the pits of hell right now.”

I snapped awake at the name.  _ Sara.  _ The two turned to face me. 

“Oh, Ryan! Everyone’s been worried sick!” From what I could gather, we were in a homely, if not gothic, cottage in the middle of a forest. Shane stood in front of a suspicious window, tendrils of dark energy swirling around it, with Sara’s face distinctly in the middle. As if I didn’t have enough to worry about. Now she was somewhat involved too. “Are you alright? I mean, that’s a bit of a stupid question, considering what’s happened-“

I could only get out one question. “What?” Seemed like a good enough catch-all, and I couldn’t really think of where else to begin. 

“Shane, did you not tell him?”

“I haven’t told him much of anything, really.” Shane shrugged as if this was absolutely inconsequential information. “I’ve been too busy, I don’t know, saving his life?”

Sara groaned, putting her head in her hands. “You’re telling me that you didn’t bother to tell him what was happening before you chopped off his wings?”

“Okay, let’s be fair here. I told him the basics. I didn’t exactly have time to give him the complete volume of history.” 

“Shane, I can’t believe you’re such a dumbass.” I didn’t ignore the smile on her face. Yeah, there was definitely something going on here. 

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

“So, do you guys know each other or what?” It was a reasonable question to ask. There were acting like they were old friends, perhaps something more, wild to think about. 

“So, do you want me to tell him?” Sara asked, rolling her eyes.

“You’ve been his friend for longer, right?” Shane responded, shrugging again. I also did not ignore the fact that Shane indirectly called me his friend. My feelings on that matter were mixed, but I suppose you have to give the guy who saved your life some sort of credit. 

“Fair enough. So, Ryan, first of all, I’d like to apologize-“

“Just get to the point,” Shane muttered, staring at the ceiling, avoiding eye contact with anyone.

“Fine. So basically you’re mortal now-“

“What?”

Sara quickly backpedaled, Shane glaring at her. “Well, I mean, not fully mortal. You’ve still got the halo, though it’s a bit dimmer now. Your lifespan is definitely a lot longer too, but, well, the loss of your wings has kind of put you in this weird, in the middle state. You’re holy, but not too holy, and there’s not enough darkness inside of you so you can gain full reign of the forces of hell and whatnot. You’re basically a mortal with benefits.”

Shane and I both cringed. “Yeah,” Sara mused, “that phrasing could have probably been much better. But you get the point, right?” 

“I guess.” I tentatively touched my back, which screamed in pain. Lovely. I had nearly forgotten about what I had lost, mostly because I wanted to push the thought in the back of my mind until I could properly deal with it. “So, What does that make Shane?”

Sara and Shane both glanced at each other, seeming to have a whole exchange without saying a word. Finally, accepting that this wasn’t something for her to tell, Shane said simply, “I’m an angel fallen all the way. I guess that’s a way you can put it. I was one of the first ones taken, and you can pretty much say I’ve seen it all. We’re on opposite ends of the spectrum. You’ve still got that light, and I’ve been forced to embrace the darkness all the way, you know?” 

“So, are you a demon or are you not a demon?” 

Shane sighed, Sara giving him a look. “Well, technically-“

“Yes, he’s a demon. A new kind of demon that we haven’t really seen since Lucifer.” A shiver ran down my spine. “He’s got the traces of holiness that allow him to regain a sense of humanity, but besides that, has been corrupted beyond the point of no return. At least, somewhat.”

“I’ve still got morals baby, though they’re hella fractured, pun intended.” Sara rolled her eyes at the words, allowing a small smile to peek through. “I was one of the first to be taken, and I guess you could call me their guinea pig. They were still figuring a ton of shit out when it came to torturing and corrupting, you know the deal. I was in a really low place for a while, sure, but I eventually fought my way out of it and figured the least I could do was drop some hints heaven’s way, try and save a few more people. Of course, that didn’t really go anywhere…”   


“The disappearances have almost become a joke at this point.” Sara sighed, giving a scornful glare behind her. “No one can agree on what to do, and nothing has been done. Your disappearance certainly hasn’t helped matters, sadly. Some are using it as proof that Shane was involved, some are using it to say that Shane had no idea what he was talking about, but either way, it’s bad.”

“Nothing has changed from my brief stint in heaven,” Shane muttered, barely concealed resentment in his voice. “There’s so much bureaucracy that justice is hardly ever given at this point to the individual. I waited, and I waited, and I waited for someone to realize that I had gone missing and figure out where I was, but, well, I’m here right now. That never happened. From what I had overheard, no one seemed to give a shit until Raphael, and even then, are they really doing much right now about him?”

“They haven’t agreed on that either,” Sara grumbled. “There’s the argument that Raphael is a worthy sacrifice and that we shouldn’t get involved, and some are saying that Hell isn’t even involved at all, and we’re all just paranoid.”

I finally made my way into the conversation. “So, you’re telling me that they’re not willing to believe that demons are involved in this? After all the proof and the reasoning? I mean, I doubt I was the only one to see something at Lucifer’s Hole. It’s-“

“Idiotic. I know. I knew you’d get it.” Shane interjected, warming up slightly. “That’s why I was interested in you in the first place, and probably why the demons were interested in converting you as well. You question things, Ryan. You always have. You’re willing to believe in the unbelievable. Meanwhile, I’ll only believe something if it’s staring me right in the face. I knew you were someone I had to at least try to save.”

“There’s another reason as well,” Sara commented, smirking like she was gearing up to share a secret. “A bit more of a divine connection, so to speak.”

I raised an eyebrow. “I mean, I’m not surprised, but I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

Shane’s expression brightened at the recollection. “Oh, right! I forgot about that.” More serious now, he turned towards me, and asked in a low tone, “Tell me, does the name Buzzfeed Unsolved ring a bell?”


End file.
